Husbands Grateful To Tabung Haji For Performing Haj Badal For Deceased Wives

From Hafizah Kamaruddin MAKKAH, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- When Osman Darus and his wife Che Yah Jaafar left for the Holy Land, little did they know that only one of them would return home. At 9.30 am local time on Sept 24, Che Yah, 62, died of lung infection at the An Noor Hospital here, leaving her beloved husband to complete the haj pilgrimage without her. Osman, 67, admitted that he was deeply saddened not only by the death of his beloved wife, but also by the fact that he was not even there beside her when she breathed her last. He said his wife was admitted to the intensive care unit at the hospital on Sept 21 after catching a flu and suffered a lung infection and that he could only watch her from behind a glass window as the hospital did not allow her any visitor. "I can't believe she's gone," said the father of one when met after meeting with the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom who visited Malaysian pilgrims' hostels at the Land Premium Hotel here on Wednesday. During the visit, Jamil Khir also announced that Tabung Haji (TH) staff would perform Haj Badal (Haj by proxy) on behalf of the 25 Malaysian pilgrims who died before completing their haj pilgrimage, including Che Yah. "I'm very grateful to Tabung Haji for its effort to perform Haj Badal for the deceased," Osman said. Efendi Osman, 55, whose wife, Maznah Mat Dali, 51, died yesterday (Tuesday) said his wife who suffered from liver cancer had always wanted to perform haj pilgrimage this year. "She was well and dandy when we arrived, but two weeks ago she had a virus infection and it had spread to her lungs," said the man from Sekilau, Pahang. Meanwhile, Said Isa, 72, whose wife Rossnah Abu Hassan, 52, died of heart attack, said he was informed about his wife's condition by her roommates at 2 am on Sept 23. He said his wife did not have any health issue before and that he accepted her death as Allah's will. "I'm also grateful to Tabung Haji for performing Haj Badal for her," he added. -- BERNAMA